2020 in Lebanon

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Decades:	2000s 2010s 2020s
See also:	Other events of 2020 Timeline of Lebanese history

Events in the year 2020 in Lebanon .

Incumbents

• President: Michel Aoun
• Prime Minister: Saad Hariri (until 21 January), Hassan Diab (from 21 January)

Events

January

• January 14 – 2019-20 Lebanese Protests resume after weeks of calm. ^[1]
• January 21 – A new cabinet is formed after months without one. ^[2]

February

• February 21 – The 1st case of COVID-19 in Lebanon is confirmed in Beirut. ^[3]
• February 28 – Lebanon bans all travel by non-residents by air, sea or land from countries worst hit by the COVID-19 outbreak. The Public Works Ministry named China, South Korea, Iran, and Italy as affected countries. ^[4]

March

• March 10 – The first COVID-19 death is recorded. ^[5]

April

• April 21 – Baakline attack - nine people were killed with a knife and gun in Baakline. ^[6]

July

• July 27 – There was an exchange of fire between Israeli soldiers and four Hezbollah members. ^{[7] [8] [9] [10]}

August

• August 4 – 2020 Beirut explosions - An explosion in the Port of Beirut kills 203 people. ^[11]
• August 5 – The government declares a two-week state of emergency following the explosions. ^[12]
• August 9 – Protesters in Lebanon called on the government to end the neglect that caused the 4 August explosion. ^[13]
• August 10 – Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced that he and his entire cabinet had resigned following anger over the Beirut explosions. ^[14]
• August 27 – Two people were killed and at least ten wounded in clashes between Hezbollah and tribal members in Khalde. ^[15]

September

• September 10 – Huge fire in the Port of Beirut sends a black plume of smoke into the air covering Beirut's sky.

October

• October 9 – a fuel tanker exploded, leaving at least four people dead and thirty injured. The blast occurred after the tank caught fire in Tariq-al-Jdide district. ^[16]
• October 14 – A delegation led by Brigadier General Bassam Yassine launched talks facilitated by the United Nations and the United States with Israel over the disputed maritime border. ^[17]

November

• November 21 – 2020 Baabda prison escape - 69 inmates escaped from a prison in Baabda. ^[18]

December

• December 2 – At the International Conference in Support of the Lebanese People, the United Nations, World Bank, and European Union launch their Reform, Recovery and Reconstruction Framework. The 3RF focuses around rebuilding Beirut and delivering essential reforms that address the root causes of the crisis. ^[19]
• December 11 – The UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) sentenced Hezbollah militant Salim Jamil Ayyash to five concurrent life sentences. However, Ayyash still remains at large. ^[20]

Deaths

Salah Stétié

Levon Altounian

• 2 January – Najwa Qassem, journalist and television presenter (born 1967). ^[21]
• 4 April – Mohammad Ali Younes, spy, head of Hezbollah's counter espionage unit. ^[22]
• 19 May – Salah Stétié, writer and poet (born 1929). ^[23]
• 3 June – Mohsen Ibrahim, politician (born 1935). ^[24]
• 9 June – Joseph Mohsen Béchara, Maronite Catholic hierarch, Archbishop of Cyprus and Antelias (born 1935). ^[25]
• 5 July – Ahmad Karami, politician (born 1944). ^[26]
• 27 July – Khalil Taha, wrestler (born 1932). ^[27]
• 31 July – Jocelyne Khoueiry, militant and activist (born 1955). ^[28]
• 4 August – Nazar Najarian, politician, secretary-general of the Kataeb Party (born. 1959). ^[29]
• 6 September – Levon Altounian, footballer (born 1936). ^[30]
• 11 December – Assad Rizk, physician and politician (born 1931). ^[31]

References

1. "Protesters block roads in Lebanon as anti-gov't rallies resume". Al Jazeera. 14 Jan 2020. Retrieved 21 Apr 2020.
2. "Lebanon protests: New government ends months of deadlock". BBC News. 22 Jan 2020. Retrieved 21 Apr 2020.
3. Yassine, Hussein (21 February 2020). "First Coronavirus Case Confirmed in Lebanon". the961.com. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
4. "Coronavirus outbreak 'getting bigger' - WHO". BBC News. 28 February 2020. Retrieved 2020-02-28.
5. Abdul Reda, Nour (10 Mar 2020). "Breaking: First Person Dies From Coronavirus in Lebanon". the961.com. Retrieved 21 Apr 2020.
6. Azhari, Timour (21 Apr 2020). "Several dead in 'indiscriminate' Lebanon mass shooting". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 21 Apr 2020.
7. "Lebanon's Hezbollah denies infiltration attempt or clashes near Lebanese frontier". Reuters. 27 July 2020 – via www.reuters.com.
8. "Netanyahu warns Hezbollah against playing with fire after frontier incident". Reuters. 27 July 2020 – via www.reuters.com.
9. "i24NEWS". www.i24news.tv.
10. Azhari, Timour. "Lebanon's Hezbollah accuses Israel of fabricating border clash". www.aljazeera.com.
11. "Lebanon explosion: Deadly fuel tank blast rocks Beirut". BBC News. October 9, 2020.
12. Holmes, Oliver; Sullivan, Helen; Ratcliffe, Rebecca (2020-08-05). "Beirut explosion: death toll rises to 135 as about 5,000 people are wounded – as it happened". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2020-08-05.
13. "Lebanese call for an uprising after protests rock Beirut". Reuters. 9 August 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
14. "Beirut explosion: Lebanon's government resigns as public anger mounts". BBC News . August 10, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
15. "Lebanon: Two killed in armed clashes with Hezbollah supporters". The National . August 27, 2020. At least two people were killed and 10 wounded when clashes broke out between armed members of the militant group Hezbollah and tribal members south of Beirut on Thursday, local media reported. The clashes in Khaldeh, south of the Lebanese capital, reportedly erupted after a row over banners that had been hung.
16. "Lebanon: Beirut fuel tank explodes in building basement, killing four". TheGuardian.com . 10 October 2020.
17. "Talks begin to resolve disputed Lebanon-Israel maritime border". UN News. 2020-10-14. Retrieved 2020-10-16.
18. "Newcastle Herald". Five dead after Lebanon jailbreak chase. 22 Nov 2020. Retrieved 7 Dec 2020.
19. "UN chief launches plan to revitalise Beirut as 'beating heart of Lebanon'". UN News. 2020-12-02. Retrieved 2020-12-10.
20. "Lebanon: UN-backed tribunal sentences Hezbollah militant in Hariri assassination". UN News. 2020-12-11. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
21. "Lebanese TV presenter Najwa Qassem dies at 51". egypttoday.com. 2 January 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
22. "Hezbollah Official Assassinated in Southern Lebanon". english.aawsat.com. 5 April 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
23. "Salah Stétié est décédé à Paris". lorientlejour.com (in French). 20 May 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
24. "Mohsen Ibrahim, l'une des dernières figures historiques de la gauche libanaise, n'est plus". lorientlejour.com (in French). 5 June 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
25. "Archbishop Joseph Mohsen Béchara". catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
26. "Former Minister Ahmad Karami passed away". nna-leb.gov.lb. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
27. "Khalil Taha". olympedia.org. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
28. "La première combattante Kataëb, en 1975, Jocelyne Khoueiry est décédée à l'âge de 64 ans". lorientlejour.com (in French). 31 July 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
29. "Secretary-general of Lebanese Kataeb Party Najarian dies in Beirut blast". news.am. 4 August 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
30. "Remembering Levon the great". falebanon.com. 7 September 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
31. "In Memory of Dr. Assaad Rizk". laumcrh.com. Retrieved 19 November 2023.